Senior Academic Advisor

University of Missouri-Columbia; Columbia Township (MO); On-site; USD 46,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Missouri - Columbia seeks a Senior Academic Advisor to manage the graduate student lifecycle in Public Health, with emphasis on MPH and online certificates, while collaborating with College, Graduate School, and university partners to support success and retention.

The role covers recruitment, admissions, onboarding, advising, and program operations, ensuring CEPH accreditation standards and data reporting are met.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent plus 2 years' relevant experience.
• Master's degree with at least 2 years' relevant experience preferred.
• Experience advising graduate students in higher education.
• Familiarity with CEPH accreditation processes.

Responsibilities

• Advise students on degree requirements, course planning, and progression toward graduation.
• Coordinate with College, Graduate School, and university partners on graduate advising.
• Support orientation, career development, and student engagement to boost retention.
• Monitor progress and outreach to promote persistence.
• Maintain accurate student records and data reporting for accreditation.

Skills

SOPHAS

Slate

Excel

Microsoft Office

Communication

Organizational skills

Diversity service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

CAS (Centralized Application Systems)

Stellic

CIM

CLSS

Job description

Hiring Department

Senior Academic Advisor, Department of Public Health

College of Health Sciences

University of Missouri - Columbia

Job Description

The successful candidate will join a growing public health department and play an important role in shaping the graduate student experience. This position offers the opportunity to build relationships with students from recruitment through graduation and contribute to ongoing improvements in graduate education and student success.

The Senior Academic Advisor supports the full student lifecycle for the Department of Public Health's graduate programs, including recruitment, admissions, onboarding, academic advising, student success and retention, and graduation. The advisor serves as a primary resource for MPH and graduate certificate students, most of whom study online, and works collaboratively with faculty and departmental, college, and Graduate School partners to support a high-quality and responsive graduate student experience. The MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Additional information about the department and programs is here: https://healthsciences.missouri.edu/public-health/.

Job Responsibilities:

Recruitment, Admissions, and Onboarding

• Meet with prospective students.
• Represent the programs at recruitment events and provide accurate information regarding public health degree programs.
• Learn and effectively use student information and program systems, which may include SOPHAS, Slate, Stellic, CIM, CLSS and others.
• Support admissions processes.
• Review transcripts and prior coursework to assess potential transfer or waiver eligibility and coordinate recommendations with the Program Director.

Graduate Advising & Student Success

• Advise students on degree requirements, course planning and registration, elective selection, prerequisites, substitutions, and progress toward graduation.
• Serve as a liaison with College, Graduate School, and university partners on graduate advising and student success matters.
• Collaborate with program leadership to develop and support orientation, career development, student engagement, and other activities that promote student success and retention.
• Monitor student academic progress, identify students who may need additional support, and conduct timely outreach to promote persistence and degree completion.
• Connect students with appropriate university, academic, career, and well-being resources.
• Identify recurring student barriers and recommend improvements to advising processes, resources, and communications.

Program Operations, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate student records and use student, admissions, enrollment, retention, and graduation data to support timely advising, program planning, accreditation, and continuous improvement in accordance with departmental, Graduate School, and university requirements.
• Support collection, maintenance, and reporting of student and program information needed for CEPH accreditation and continuous quality improvement.
• Help maintain accurate and current graduate program information on departmental websites and other student-facing materials.

Other

• Provide programmatic and administrative support for graduate program initiatives, committees, events, and special projects as appropriate to the role.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Shift

Monday - Friday

8:00am - 5:00pm

Periodic events, including recruiting events that may occur off site or off hours.

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 2 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree with at least 2 years of relevant experience
• Experience working in higher education as an advisor to students, preferably for graduate programs.
• Knowledge of graduate education policies, academic advising practices, student success, and retention.
• Experience with centralized application systems (CAS) such as Slate, SOPHAS, or others.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and demonstrated ability to learn and effectively use student information, degree audit, and application-management systems.
• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and interpersonal communication.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently.
• Experience providing high-quality service to students from varied backgrounds and circumstances.

Anticipated Hiring Range

Anticipated Hiring Range: $45,968 - $65,520

Grade: GGS 009

University Title: Senior Academic Advisor

Internal applicants can determine their current grade and university title by accessing the Job Information page through the Additional Employee Info tile in myHR.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed until well-qualified applicants are identified to advance to the interview process.

Sponsorship Information

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Other Information

At the Mizzou College of Health Sciences https://healthsciences.missouri.edu/about/, we work every day to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

As the home of the most popular major on campus, we teach Mizzou students who care about health and are dedicated to serving others. In addition to learning in the classroom, our students spend more than 80,150 hours helping patients every year.

Our faculty are driven to solve real-world problems. They lead the way by conducting research that has power and purpose. From expanding the use of technology in health care to improving mental health and learning in schools, we are discovering ways to make life better for everyone.

Through clinics and community outreach programs, we provide vital services to members of our community and training for our students. We are proud to serve Missourians today while preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

Community Information

Columbia offers small-town friendliness with big city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Founded on education and known as an ideal college town, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located on Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 63, Columbia is right in the middle of the state and the nation. Just a couple hours' drive from St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia is Boone County's largest population center offering big-city culture, activities, and resources with a low cost of living. Columbia is home to a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues and hosts more than a dozen festivals each year. If you want to grow your career, continue your education, raise a family, and retire, Columbia is a good place to be!

Benefit Eligibility

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.